Here is an excellent photo of John
C. Spencer, just prior to her name being shortened to Spencer.
Her peace-time armament consisted of two 5-inch 51 caliber and two 6-pound
signal guns, all mounted forward. The Hamilton, Bibb, Duane,
Spencer and Taney originally carried a seaplane and associated
derricks on the after deck. Once they were assigned as convoy escorts
the amphibians were removed to make room for depth charge tracks,
"Y" guns, and an additional 5-inch 51 caliber gun.
Interestingly, the aviation booms were not removed. Apparently Campbell
and Ingham did not carry aircraft

"Gunnery exercise.";
circa 1940; Photo No. 2414; photo was provided through the courtesy of Merle
Harbourt, USCG (Ret.), a Spencer crewman, who served on board her
during the 1939-1940 period.

"Dec '40, Rolling a bit;
3/50s and 'Y' guns recently installed."; December, 1940; Photo No.
123S; photo was provided through the courtesy of Merle Harbourt, USCG
(Ret.), a Spencer crewman, who served on board her during the
1939-1940 period.

"Pan Am Clipper flies
over Spencer."; 1940; Photo No. 617; photo was provided through the
courtesy of Merle Harbourt, USCG (Ret.), a Spencer crewman, who
served on board her during the 1939-1940 period.

Spencer transferred to
Navy operational control on 11 September 1941 and began duty as a
convoy escort. She sailed as the flagship of the only US-led convoy
escort group on the North Atlantic, Ocean Escort Group A-3. Although Spencer
was commanded by a Coast Guard officer, Commander Harold S. Berdine, and her
crew was entirely Coast Guard, the Escort Group Commander, a US Navy
officer, Captain Paul R. Heineman, USN, flew his flag on board Spencer.
Escort Group A-3 was a motley collection of Coast Guard cutters, US Navy
destroyers, and British and Canadian corvettes.

Spencer saw
considerable action on the North Atlantic in concert with her sister
Secretary Class cutters. While escorting east-bound Convoy HX-233, she
located the submerged U-175 attempting to infiltrate the
convoy. She then blew it to the surface with depth charges and in
concert with Duane, fired upon it. The U-boat's crew abandoned
their submarine and a boarding party from Spencer actually got on
board before the U-boat sank. The Spencer and Duane then
rescued the surviving German crew.

After the war, the US Navy
credited Spencer with sinking the U-225 on 21 February 1943
although that sinking was later disallowed. Recent research has
suggested that she did sink the U-529 on 22 February 1943 although
she did not receive official credit for the sinking.

"END OF A VOYAGE: Safe in
a United Nations port, after shepherding a convoy across the Atlantic during
the War, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter SPENCER lies peacefully at anchor
against the hour when it would have to begin the return trip. Coast
Guard Cutters such as this did splendid service in the submarine infested
sealanes."; Photo No. 1004; November, 1942 (?); photographer unknown.

Captain C. S. "Mike"
Hall, on board Spencer during the attack on the U-175 (in fact
he boarded the U-175 along with fellow crewman Ross P. Bullard--the
first Americans to board an enemy warship underway at sea since the War of
1812), described the Secretary Class cutters as:

"We were blessed with
the greatest hull form and type of construction that was available in U.S.
shipyards at that time. In my opinion, the hulls should have never
been discarded. . .when Spencer received relatively inexperienced
personnel from shore for one voyage training, and then as replacements for
the older hands, H.S. Berdine kept on board those old hands who wished to
stay and transferred the newer personnel, now trained. Of course
this resulted in a plethora of experienced personnel retained. Some
of my shipmates of that era came on board in 1939-40 spent an entire
enlistment, plus mandatory extension, and when WWII ended were CPO's and
returned to civilian life. . ."

He ended by noting, and most
veterans would agree, that "the only things I suffered from were
inadequate liberty ashore and excessive patriotism."

COAST GUARD CUTTER SINKS
SUB: Coast Guardsmen on the deck of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter SPENCER
watch the explosion of a depth charge which blasted a Nazi U-boat's hope of
breaking into the center of a large convoy. The depth charge tossed
from the 327-foot cutter blew the submarine to the surface, where it was
engaged by Coast Guardsmen. Ships of the convoy may be seen in the
background."; 17 April 1943; Photo No. 1517; photo by Jack January,
USCGR.

Patrolling ahead of Convoy
HX-233 on 17 April 1943, Spencer detected on sonar the submerged U-175
attempting to slip into the van of the convoy. The Spencer then
delivered this devastating depth charge attack that brought the U-175 to the
surface.

"Effect of the U.S. Coast
Guard Cutter SPENCER'S fire are visible in this closeup shot of the U-Boat,
taken as the battle raged. The Nazi standing by the stanchion
amidships disappeared a moment after this picture was taken by a Coast Guard
photographer. The U-boat had been trying to sneak into the center of
the convoy."; 17 April 1943; Photo No. 1512; photo by Jack January,
USCGR.

The "Nazi" mentioned
in the above caption was probably in fact a member of the Coast Guard's
boarding team--the first Americans to board an enemy man-of-war at sea since
the War of 1812.

"Coast Guardsmen from the
cutter SPENCER picking up survivors from the Nazi U-boat just before it made
its final dive. Meanwhile, the convoy steamed on."; 17 April
1943; Photo No. 1513 (?); photo by Jack January, USCGR.

The U-175 sank before
the Coast Guard boarding crew could climb down the conning tower. That
boarding team had been trained by the Royal Navy to board a surfaced U-boat
and secure the coding machines and code books, but the U-boat's tanks had
been flooded and it sank before the Coast Guardsmen could complete their
mission.

This photograph provides an
excellent overhead view of all of her war-time armament prior to her
conversion to an Amphibious Force Flagship.

"W36, port broadside,
Norfolk Navy Yard, Later alterations to some of this Class were made,
converting them to Navy AGC's, as shown here by the SPENCER."; 26
September 1944; Photo No. 8630(44); photographer unknown.

Spencer underwent
conversion to an amphibious force flagship at the Norfolk Navy Yard between
26 June and 11 September 1944. She then sailed for duty in the
Pacific. She grounded at San Pedro Bay, Leyte on 7 December 1944 and
sustained moderate damage. On 31 January 1945 she served as the
flagship for the 8th Amphibious Group during the Nasugbu landings in Luzon,
Philippines. She then served as the flagship for Task Group 78.2
during the Puerto Princessa landing, Palawan, Philippines. During
April and May 1945 she served as the flagship for the Parang and Malabang
landings in Mindanao, Philippines. In June 1945 she served as a
fighter direction ship for the landings at Brunei, North Borneo. In
July 1945 she served as the flagship for Task Group 78.2 again during the
landings at Balikpapan, Borneo.